Soul Mates
by Pendragon22
Summary: A story consisting of short one-shots about Shepard and Garrus from the beginning to the end and just a little beyond. Because at their core, they were meant for each other. Alternates POV's as best as I can. Events will follow in chronological order.
1. First Meeting

**First Meeting**

Her eyes fell upon him when he was arguing with his executor. The way he demanded for more time to find more evidence to bring Saren down. All his executor did was brush him off like he was dust on a table and walk away. The glare the turian gave his boss was threatening. Then he turned and faced her. He introduced himself. Garrus was his name. She smiled when he already knew she was Commander Shepard. She always admired the turians, they were her favorite race in the galaxy. And this turian was already becoming a favorite as well.


	2. Take the Shot

**Take the Shot**

Crouched low against the wall, hidden and unaware that he was even in the room. Garrus listened to the thugs as they interrogated Dr. Michel. He had to do something. He wasn't going to listen to them kill her. Suddenly the med-bay door opened and there she was, the Commander. She aimed her gun and the thugs took notice. Garrus stood up and reacted. He fired his pistol without realizing where. Down fell the thug holding Michel. The Commander cleaned up the rest. Once everybody had calmed, he thanked the Commander for her help. She revolted and told him he was crazy for shooting so close to the hostage. She wasn't yelling, but her voice was firm. And beautiful to his ears. He asked if he could join her team. To his surprise she agreed. As they walked out of the med-bay, she gave him a wink before brushing past him. He didn't know what it meant, but it had to be something good.


	3. Reasoning

**Reasoning**

He watched the hulking krogan gun down the man known as Fist. He yelled out what hell was he doing. The Commander did the same, telling the krogan not to shoot unarmed civilians. The krogan, Wrex, shrugged and said he always finished his contracts. Garrus watched the Commander's ocean blue eyes squint slightly at the krogan before she ordered the team to move out. They had a quarian to save, one that could give them the intel they needed to prove Saren's guilt.


	4. Honor

**Author's Note: Just a quick thanks to the few people who have followed this story. I appreciate it a lot :)**

* * *

**Honor**

The asari councilor asked her to step forward. She did. People started to gather on the outer balconies. She looked around at them as they pointed and expressions of awe crossed their faces. Each councilor gave a speech before crowning her the First Human Spectre. She bowed in appreciation. Her squad, Garrus, the turian and Tali, the quarian, watched from behind her as she became a Spectre right before their eyes. When the ceremony finished, her squad congratulated her. She beckoned them to follow her back to her ship. Finally, Garrus could see what her ship looked like and see what it was like to work under her authority.


	5. Learn

**Learn**

The Commander was going around the ship, getting to know everybody. Garrus had toured the ship himself. It was incredible. Human and Turian engineering put together to create a marvel of a ship. He had found a spot down in the cargo bay, next to the ground vehicle known as the Mako. When the Commander came by him, they engaged in conversation.

"I knew working with a Spectre would be different than life at C-Sec" he said.

"Have you worked with a Spectre before?" she asked him, voice hinting intrigue.

He disappointed her by saying no but he said he understood how they worked, with having unlimited power and the ability to make their own rules if they wanted too. She gave him a concerning look that Garrus didn't quite understand. When he brought up getting things done his way she sternly told him no. He was to follow her orders and the rules. His reaction was surprise at first and then his fell in line and apologized. She nodded at him before leaving to the elevator. Her words lingered in his mind long after she left. Maybe he should try and learn from that mistake.


	6. Grace

**Grace**

She admired his grace on the battle field. The way he aimed his sniper and took a precision shot to kill a target. His skills with a sniper almost matched hers, but he was still off by far. Being a soldier, Shepard knew how to handle any gun. It was simple as breathing to her. Once all the enemies were eliminated, she approached him and nudged him slightly with her shoulder. He turned to her and smiled the way turians do. She loved it.

"We'll have to test our skills together one day. See who's better with a gun" Shepard told him.

"You're on Commander" he replied, an eager tone in his voice.

She smiled at him, a way of showing she approved of the answer. She brushed past him and took the lead. He shook his head briefly and followed her swiftly.


	7. Voice

**Voice**

His voice was utterly perfect. The two toned voice sent shivers through her body sometimes. Other times it was just a voice. A deep, fierce and irresistible voice. But just a voice. Shepard grew to admire his voice. It had a calming effect on her. Hearing it always made he feel safe. And Garrus made sure to keep her safe...even if it was only when they were on the battlefield.


	8. Questions

**Questions**

"When did you decide to join the military?" Garrus asked his Commander.

"Once I hit the age of enrollment. 18 years old. My parents are military so it made sense that I would carry down the tradition" Shepard replied.

"Any regrets?" he asked her.

He watched his Commander ponder this thought for a moment. Most soldiers usually had regrets. Garrus had a few himself though he was doing his best to make up for anyone. After a couple minutes, she answered.

"I honestly can't think of any regrets. I was a spacer kid. I was born on a freaking ship and lived out here my entire life. My only regret would be that I never lived on a planet" Shepard said.

"If you could live on a planet, would you?" Garrus asked.

"I wouldn't like it much. In the city, you have so much air to breath but it's as crowed as hell. Out here, in space, it's the one place you can't breathe and I feel like I have all the space in the world" Shepard answered.

"Couldn't have put it better myself Commander, but I prefer a planet. Space has_ too_ much room" Garrus said.

"Fair enough Garrus. But you'll get used it" Shepard said before leaving.

"With you around, I will" Garrus whispered behind her back.


	9. New Girl

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I was in Vancouver seeing Lady GaGa's concert this weekend so I couldn't upload a chapter. But I'm back now so here's the next one.**

* * *

**New Girl**

Shepard didn't know what to think of Liara. She was sweet, pretty, awkward and somewhat shy. But there was something about her that Shepard just couldn't put her finger on. The young asari had mentioned finding the Commander...fascinating but only because she had been touched by a prothean beacon and survived. Shepard was aware that Liara had spent 50 years of her life studying the protheans so it made sense that she would be interested in her. But Shepard didn't want that. At the moment, she wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with anyone in her crew. Too much at stake. Besides Shepard wasn't the kind who fell for the asari. She had her eyes set on a different species.


	10. Rumors

**Rumors**

Shepard was downstairs in the cargo bay, sitting up against the Mako. Beside her was Garrus. They were talking and enjoying each other's company.

"So have you heard the rumors?" Garrus asked.

"Rumors about what?" Shepard asked.

"There's a below-deck rumor around here that the Doctor and the Lieutenant have, ah what's the word...oh right 'crush' as humans say it" Garrus explained briefly.

"On each other or on me?" Shepard asked.

"On you" Garrus confirmed.

"Oh godamnit! Jeez I should have expected that" Shepard said, irritated

"How so?" Garrus asked.

"Well Kaidan, he's always liked me, you could say. I know he has feelings for me he's just shy about admitting it. And Liara found me fascinating because I touched a prothean beacon" Shepard explained.

"_Fascinating_?" Garrus repeated.

"That's what I thought" Shepard said, laughing a little.

"So what are you going to do?" Garrus asked.

"I'll have to tell them I'm not interested it that. I don't want to risk friendship. But that can wait until later. I'm enjoying your company right now" Shepard said.

"Good. Because I'd get lonely without you to talk to" Garrus expressed.

Shepard smiled "Me too".


	11. C-Sec

**C-Sec**

She asked him outright one day. Just a single question that started an entire conversation.

"Why did you want to be a C-Sec officer in the first place?" Shepard asked him.

It was a good question no doubt. There had been several reasons why. Garrus' father was one of the best C-Sec officers. He grew up watching the vids of his dad after a big arrest. In Garrus' mind, he wanted to make his dad proud. So he followed in his foot-steps and joined C-Sec after his military training.

"So how is your dad reacting to your resignation?" Shepard asked him.

Garrus shook his head "Not well. He doesn't like the fact that I'm working with a Spectre. As you know he blocked my Spectre candidacy when I was younger".

"I know. I'm sorry. You would've been _great_" Shepard said.

Garrus nodded in appreciation. The way Shepard said those words; they almost had an endearing tone to it. Like she...cared about him. Or maybe she felt sorry for him because his father was a real pain in the ass...and still is.

"I still have years left Commander. Maybe one day I'll become a Spectre. And I won't give a damn what my father thinks" Garrus said.

"There's always hope. Never forget that" Shepard said.

"Don't worry Commander, I won't" Garrus said.


	12. Skills

**Skills**

"Nice shot" Shepard said.

Garrus turned and looked at her, a sly smile on his face.

"That was better than nice. It was perfect" Garrus boasted.

Shepard laughed "Alright. A perfect shot. But I'm still winning".

Shepard had finally found time to have a shooting match with Garrus to see who the better sniper was. So far Shepard was in the lead with 6 headshots. Garrus was on her tail with 5. After they had completed their objective on a planet, Shepard suggested they stay and have their shoot-out.

"My turn" Shepard said.

Garrus moved aside and let Shepard get into position. He watched as she set herself up. She held the gun with precision and when she fired, there was almost a grace to it. She was defiantly a soldier. her shot was a soild kill-shot. Very impressive.

"Fantastic" Shepard said aloud.

"Alright Commander. I'll admit that was good" Garrus complimented.

"Thanks. Alright how about we both shoot at the same time. Whoever hit the target wins" Shepard suggested.

"Fair enough" Garrus agreed.

The pair got into position and aimed at their target which happened to be tall plants that resembled people, in a sense.

Shepard did a short countdown "Three...two...one...Fire!"

Simultaneously, they fired. One missed and the other hit.

"Shit" Shepard cursed.

"Good try Commander but, I just beat you" Garrus announced triumphantly.

Shepard rose up "That you did. Good job Garrus. You have serious skill with a sniper. But mark my words. I'll get back at you one day".

"We'll see about that. I need to go tell everybody on the ship I just beat you" Garrus said.

Shepard gave him a glare that made him quickly apologize.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You did well too. Very impressive" Garrus said.

Shepard gave a small laugh "I'm just pulling your leg. Don't take it seriously. Let's get back to the ship".

"Right behind you" Garrus said.


	13. Disturbed

**Disturbed **

Another successful mission. The colony of Feros was saved thanks to Shepard. The Thorian was dead and colonists no long obeyed it like mindless husks. Though through all the victory, the mission had been quite disturbing. Fighting the Thorian creepers, that's something Garrus never wanted to do again. Shepard hadn't said a word herself since freeing the asari, Shiala from the Thorian's control.

"Commander? Are you all right?" Garrus asked gently.

She didn't answer. All she did was continue staring at the door while they were decontaminated in the airlock.

"Commander?" Garrus asked again.

"Hmm" Shepard acknowledged, shaken from her dream-state.

"Are you all right?" Garrus asked slowly.

"Oh uh, yeah. I'm just a little shaken from receiving the cipher from Shiala. I should probably lie down" Shepard said.

"Maybe the doctor should look at you?" Garrus suggested.

Shepard looked at Garrus and gave him a smile "Don't worry about me, Vakarian. That's my job. But I appreciate it none the less".

"Just making sure" Garrus said, following her out of the airlock.


	14. Girl Talk

**Girl Talk**

"You've heard the 'rumors' right?" Ashley asked.

"About Kaidan and Liara fighting over me? Yep" Shepard replied.

"You don't like either of them?" Ashley asked.

"I like them, as friends. Not romantic interests. I'm not looking for anything right now" Shepard explained.

"Sounds logical to me" Ashley agreed.

A silence formed between the two women briefly before one of them broke the ice with another question.

"So...what's up with you and Garrus?" Ashley inquired.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at her "What do you mean?"

Ashley shrugged "You're always down here talking to just him. Did you speak too soon Commander? Is there something going on between _you two_?"

Shepard sighed "No. Garrus and I are just friends. Nothing more. He's really nice and I know I may be closer with my alien allies than my human allies but that doesn't mean I'm romantically interested in him".

"I know. I'm just kidding with you Commander. Don't need to get all touchy-feely" Ashley said.

"I'm sure you were Chief" Shepard said.

The two women broke out in a quiet laughter. It was nice to have a girl to talk to. Spilling secrets and picking up on gossip had it's perks.


	15. Saleon

**Author's Note: Apologies for the slow updates. I have exams all week and next week. I need to spend a lot of time for studying. I'll update when I can :)**

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**Saleon**

The way Shepard helped him handle Saleon was not what Garrus was expecting. Her idea was to bring him into the military and question him. Of course, Garrus' ruthlessness got the better of him and he wanted to outright kill Saleon. With a little convicing, Shepard got him to stand down. But it the end Saleon betrayed them and Shepard was forced to kill him. Garrus was confused. He didn't see the point at all.

"You can't predict how people will act Garrus, but you can control how you'll respond. In the end that's what really matters" Shepard explained to him.

That's when it dawned on him. The Commander was right. She always was. She always found the best way through a situation, not the fastest. Garrus always took the fast way when he worked at C-Sec. How come he never noticed? All it took was his Commander to open his eyes. Today, he learned a lesson. One he'll never forget and one that he'll improve upon.

"Yeah" he said to Shepard "I don't think I've met anyone like you Commander".

Shepard laid a hand on his shoulder "I'm just getting started".

She did the wink again before turning to the exit. Garrus still didn't understand the wink, but it still meant something good.


	16. Mother

**Mother**

Shepard couldn't even begin to imagine what Liara was going through now. The young asari just lost her mother. And Shepard was responsible for her death. Of course Liara knew Shepard had no choice, she was there. But watching Liara tell her mother to fight the indoctrination was saddening.

She hadn't spoken to Liara much at all, so it was awkward, deciding if she should check up on the girl to see if everything was going to be all right. What would she say? _I'm sorry for your loss?_ That line had been used way too many times. Of course you're going to be sorry. Nobody wants to lose people, especially their own family members.

"Still thinking?" A familiar voice said.

Garrus. Of course it was him. Shepard shouldn't be surprised.

"Yeah. I don't know how to tell her I'm sorry" Shepard explained.

"I know you best Shepard. Just go in there and say whatever comes to mind. You do it every day on the battlefield" Garrus encouraged.

Shepard smiled "I'm glad I let you join the team. You always know what to say".

With that, Garrus watched Shepard walk into the med-bay to get access to the small storage room in the back where Liara stayed. _You always know what to say_. He let those words linger in his mind for a long time. They had that endearment tone to them again, proving the Commander cares about him. He liked it.


	17. Jealousy

**Jealousy **

It was a regular day on the Normandy. Garrus was talking with Shepard once again down in the cargo bay. Just about past missions and opinions on Saren. Nothing extraordinarily new. But today was a little different. While they were talking, the elevator opened. Nobody but the Commander ever really came down here. When Garrus saw Shepard's face, he had a clue who it was. Alenko. Garrus turned around to see the Lieutenant standing in the elevator. His expression read anger and annoyance. He sent a piercing glare at both Garrus and Shepard. He lingered for a moment, just staring, fists clenched, before heading off to his locker.

"What was that?" Garrus asked.

Shepard shrugged "Jealousy. He's jealous of you".

Garrus threw a glance at Alenko.

_That's right. She likes me better than you _Garrus thought.


	18. Avenge

**Avenge **

The planet Agebinium. That's where Garrus was right now. On a mission with Shepard and Tali. Admiral Hackett had sent them to disable a nuke found on the planet's surface. What they weren't expecting was to find the culprit behind the Skyllian Blitz. Elanos Haliat was his name. He remembered Shepard. She became a goddamn war hero that day when she saved Elysium from Batarian pirates. She disabled the nuke and killed Elanos, finally avenged the people who were attacked that day.

Garrus found Shepard staring at Haliat's body once all his men were eliminated.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

He saw her clench her fists into tight balls. Her head lowered and she started deep breaths.

"I feel...good. This man was responsible for attacking Elysium. And now he's dead. I hope he's rotting in_ hell_ right now" Shepard explained, venom hinted in her voice.

Garrus didn't know what to say so he just nodded in understanding and looked around at the red dusted mountains surrounding them.

"Tali! Is the Mako good?" Shepard called out.

"Yes! Everything's fine. No traps or bombs" Tali called back.

"Perfect. Let's go" Shepard ordered.

"With you" Garrus replied.


	19. Paradise

**Paradise**

Virmire reminded Garrus of Palaven on so many levels. It was humid and warm and the ocean was just like the one at his home. It brought back memories. This planet was every bit beautiful. Too bad they would have to drop a bomb on Saren's cloning facility. That would do some defiant damage.

The Commander was able to talk Wrex down without killing him. At the moment, she was discussing the plan with the Salarian captain; Captain Kirrahe. Once everything was in order, it would finally be time to infiltrate and find the spot to place out the bomb. Destroying this facility would ensure Saren wouldn't have a krogan army. Having the Geth on his side was bad enough.

"Garrus" Shepard said.

He turned to face his Commander. The sun shone down on her blond hair, making it shine softly. Her blue eyes glistened like the ocean around them. Her expression was warm. She looked stunning.

"Ready to infiltrate?" she asked.

"I'm coming?" Garrus questioned.

"Of course you are. Couldn't do this without you" Shepard confirmed.

"Well in that case, lead the way" Garrus eagerly replied.


	20. Loss

**Loss**

Nobody had seen Shepard since they returned to the Normandy from Virmire. The cloning facility was destroyed but Ashley lost her life. She sacrificed herself to save the rest of them. The whole crew was silent, dealing with the recent loss.

Garrus knew Shepard best though. He knew exactly where she was. At a time like this, it made sense that she'd hide from the crew. Down in the cargo bay, in the very back corner of the room that was concealed by the Mako was a known hiding spot. Garrus found her on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. He joined her.

"She was a fine solider" he said.

"I know" she replied, voice soft.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No" she said "Just...stay here with me".

"Of course" he replied.

Moments later, she leaned against him. Garrus was surprised at first. He glanced down to see his Commander resting her head on his shoulder. He was tempted to move but then stopped. She needed the comfort. So he let her rest against him as they mourned Ashley in the silence of ship.


	21. Ilos

**Author's Note : A quick thanks to the recent followers I've received. I appreciate it. Also, don't be shy to leave a review :)**

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**Ilos**

Shepard immediately agreed with herself that Ilos was creepy. It was...odd, walking around on a planet that once belonged to the protheans before the Reapers wiped them out. Even her crew; Garrus and Tali were on edge. Nobody wanted to disturb the ancient architecture around them.

But they couldn't focus on that right now. Their sole purpose here on Ilos was to get to the Conduit before Saren. If they failed, the Reapers would return and soon all organic life would be destroyed. It all came down to this day. Shepard was scared.

* * *

Once they reached the Conduit, it would be a straight shot to hit it. And the Geth were not going to make it easy on them. For a moment, she couldn't move. She was frozen and couldn't get the Mako to move forward.

But then a hand laid on top of her shoulder. She spun to see Garrus, an encouraging look in his eyes.

"You can do it" he said.

And that was all she needed. With a nod, she drove the Mako forward, heading for the Conduit, heading straight to Saren.


	22. Defeat

**Defeat**

It was all over. Saren and Sovereign. They were both dead in the water. Relief was an amazing feeling. Having that threat removed from your mind was indescribable. It was worthy of celebration.

Garrus remember waking up, buried under parts of Sovereign. Tali was next to him, slowly regaining conciseness. Anderson found them and helped them out. When he asked where Shepard was, all Garrus could do was shake his head. There was no way she got out in time. He glanced back at the rubble, thinking she was crushed under there, somewhere.

But just when they all lost hope, a miracle happened. Some of the debris stirred and shifted, like somebody was crawling their way out of the mess. Moments later, a beautiful sight came into Garrus' view.

Shepard. She had a limp when she walked, but she was alive and that was all he needed to know. They'd come too far to lose her now. She made her way down to him and Tali.

"Keelah Shepard. We thought you..." Tali didn't want to finish.

"Died? It's alright. I can't die when I just saved the galaxy" Shepard said.

"I'm glad you're okay" Garrus said.

"I'm glad to say the same about you Garrus. I can't lose you now" Shepard said.

_I can't lose you either _Garrus thought. Together they made their out of the tower and down to the Presidium.


	23. Parting

**Parting**

It was hard to leave the Normandy behind and return to C-Sec. Garrus had grown attached to some of the crew. Tali had always been nice to him. He liked her. Wrex was somebody he could share his humor with. And Shepard...Shepard was someone to talk to. To cheer up. To follow orders. To learn from. He admitted to himself that he'd miss her.

"Good luck Vakarian. Don't get yourself killed" Shepard told him.

"Same goes for you Commander. You'll let me know when I can come back here right?" he asked.

"In a heartbeat" she replied.

"Good. It was an honor Shepard" he saluted.

"The honor's all mine Garrus. Stay safe" she said with a smile.

With a nod, Garrus turned and exited the ship. Before he stepped into the elevator, he took one last look at the ship. Then the doors slid shut, cutting off his view of the magnificent ship and the woman who commanded it.


	24. Unfortunate News

**Unfortunate News**

When he heard the news on the vids, he didn't believe it. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. She couldn't be gone. It was impossible.

_The Normandy had been destroyed over the planet Alchera by an unknown force out in Terminus Systems. Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau was the last one to see Commander Shepard. She did not make it into the escape pod in time. This is indeed a grim day for all of us. A memorial funeral will be held at a later date. Please stay tuned to find out when._

The Normandy was sent out into the Terminus about a month ago. Council orders. They wanted Shepard to wipe out any remaining Geth pockets. It would have to be some unknown force to take down that ship. No way the Geth could do that.

_She's gone_ Garrus thought. He still couldn't believe it.

_Don't get yourself killed Vakarian. _Her voice echoed in his mind.

"That was meant for _both of us_" Garrus said quietly to no one.


	25. Funeral

**Author's Note: So much free time this week. I'm defiantly in that writing mood and I feel like uploading more chapters. Enjoy :)**

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**Funeral **

All of her crew attended. Liara, Tali, Wrex, Kaidan and Garrus were all present. The funeral was held in the Presidium so even random strangers could attend. That annoyed Garrus.

Everybody went up and said a few words about Shepard. What she was like, their favourite memory of her and how they'll remember her. In the crowd, Garrus spotted a woman who looked strikingly similar to Shepard.

"_I was a spacer kid. I was born on a freaking ship"_ Words from an earlier conversation ran through Garrus' mind.

_Her mother_ he concluded. She had the same blue eyes as Shepard. Her hair was blond but was starting to appear faded and small grays tangled among the blond strands. She was wearing Alliance dress-blues. Her posture was perfect. But her expression had grief written all over it.

As much as Garrus wanted to say something to help cheer her up, he couldn't. All he did was remain silent until it was his turn to go up and say a few words.


	26. Abandon

**Abandon**

It had been a month since she died. She was still all over the news. Of course she would. She was Commander Shepard. She saved the fucking galaxy. Only complete morons forget people who saved the galaxy.

Garrus had only been in C-Sec for about 2 months and he was already abandoning it once again. For good. He couldn't sit around and do nothing. The Council certainly wasn't taking any action about finding out who destroyed the Normandy. Garrus was leaving C-Sec, and the Citadel, tonight.

He had no real plan about where to go. His best bet was to catch a transport and let it take him somewhere far away from this hell-hole. He was done.

That evening, he packed what few belongings he owned and headed out. The transport he caught was going to all sorts of places. Perfect. Once he found a place that appealed to his interests, he'd get off there and start a new chapter.


	27. Omega

**Omega**

Omega. He'd heard of it before. It was the perfect place to do some good. It was a total criminal haven. It was bound by no rules. No government. No laws. People ran free here. Some abused that freedom a little too much. Garrus planned to put an end to that.

The station was an absolute piss-hole but Garrus had seen worse. He'd get used it...eventually. In order to help the citizens of this place, he'd need a team. He knew exactly how to get one. He did learn from the best. He needed to appeal to their reason and prove to them that he got things done.

Shepard once taught him how to handle a situation. Find the best way through. That was the lesson he learned that day when she helped him with Saleon. Since then he had improved and was ready to face the criminals of Omega. It was time to show them what happens when you go too far.


	28. Teamwork

**Teamwork**

They were coming together nicely. In the past four months, Garrus had assembled a squad of eleven people, twelve if he included himself. It was a small range of former military operatives, C-sec agents and security consultants. He had a few mercs on his team but they were the ones who wanted to atone for what they'd done. He could trust them.

Their actions spread fast on Omega. People started rumors about a week after Garrus formed the squad. Within a month, everybody knew of their existence and what they stood for. They were the first real law enforcers Omega had ever had.

Of course that didn't make the other mercenary groups very happy. Disrupting their plans and destroying their shipments usually resulted in a fight but it was nothing his team couldn't handle. Garrus had high hopes that he could turn things around on Omega.


	29. Good Deads

**Good Deeds**

"So have you heard what the people of Omega are calling you?" Butler said to Garrus.

"No I haven't" Garrus said, curiosity ringing in his voice.

"Archangel" Butler replied.

"Really? What for?" Garrus asked.

Butler shrugged "Maybe because you've lowered the crime rate substantially since putting this squad together and saved quite a few lives on the side"

"Well that's what we do. No civilian casualties. And we only harm the bad guys operations if they go too far. We're not supposed to be another gang" Garrus pointed out.

"I know that. And so does Omega. This is just their way of thanking you" Butler said.

"By giving me a nickname? Archangel sounds like some sort of protector" Garrus said.

"That's _exactly_ what you are" Butler said.

The young man got up and left to another room, leaving Garrus to think about what he'd said. _A protector._ It was probably true. He did, after all, learn from the best.


	30. Year

**Year**

It'd been one year. One year ago he left the Citadel. One year ago he came to Omega to right wrongs. One year ago he formed a team. _One year ago she died_. That one stung the most. One year all on his own. Without her.

That night, with his team, they all did a toast to Shepard to honor her memory. Garrus had told his squad he served under her. He told them how close he was with her. How she shaped him into the man he is today by showing him his mistakes and helping him learn.

"To Shepard!" they all chanted. Glasses clinked and chattered erupted among the men. Garrus was with them for a bit, but about half way through the ceremony he slipped off to his room. He wanted to remember Shepard his own way.

He looked up towards the ceiling and thought of what to say.

"I hope you're doing well up there Shepard. Keeping an eye on all of us, I assume. This is for you by the way. Hope I'm making you proud. I'll see you up there one day".

He took a sip of his drink which was pretty decent considering it was from Omega and almost everything tasted like shit. For the rest of the night, he let his men have their fun while he hung his head and mourned his friend.


	31. Inquiring

**Inquiring**

A small simple message. From Sidonis. Garrus hadn't seen the turian since early morning. He went out to do some things and hadn't returned yet. That troubled Garrus until he received the message.

_I found some Blood Pack gun running operation out in the Kenzo District. Might wanna check it out. Meet you there._

That was all the message said. Blood Pack would be easy to take care of. He didn't see why Sidonis couldn't do it himself but figured a little backup never hurt. He headed out of the hideout and on the path to the Kenzo District.

Part of Garrus had a bad feeling about this. Like it was a trap. Sidonis had been gone for hours and he just discovered the base now? It was late afternoon already. But the message was solid and Garrus trusted Sidonis. He wouldn't betray him. Sidonis knew better than that.


	32. Suspicion

**Suspicion **

Garrus had been at the meeting point for about fifteen minutes. No sign of Sidonis. Then again there wasn't even the alleged Blood Pack either. Something was defiantly wrong here.

He checked the message Sidonis had sent him. It had originated from this area. So where was he? This wasn't making any sense. Was Garrus right? Did Sidonis lead him into a trap? Lure him away from the base? And then what? Garrus' men were more than capable of taking down Sidonis if he tried to kill them.

The pieces to this puzzle weren't fitting. Garrus left the warehouse and returned to the hideout. He had a lot of questions to ask Sidonis once he got back. Why did he tell him about a false job? He shrugged. Just one more question to ask.


	33. Betrayal

**Betrayal**

Upon arrival to the hideout, Garrus spotted merc activity. Outside the hideout. _Their hideout_.

_Damn it_ Garrus thought to himself. _They know where we are. Who gave us away?_

That's when it dawned on him. Sidonis did this. It all made sense. Lure him out with a false job and then get the mercs to attack the base. He must have tipped them off. Garrus picked up the pace, hoping to ward off whatever the mercs were planning but he was too late.

Blue Suns. They bombed the hideout. Screams could be heard from inside. Now he _really_ picked up the pace. The Suns were inside and gunning down his men. Reaching the hideout, Garrus killed the group of Suns that arrived and drove the gunship away by injuring it substantially.

He took in his surroundings. Bodies scattered the ground. Most belonged to that of his men. Dead. All dead. He did a count of his men. He got a total of 10. Him and Sidonis were the only turians on the team. And there were no other turians on the ground.

Sidonis did this, no question. He betrayed the team and killed his men. Garrus found himself in the face of death once again.


	34. Burial

**Burial**

There was no real place to 'bury' the bodies. He just laid them downstairs in rows and covered them with a tarp. He had considered burning them but the smell that followed was never pleasant.

He had to admit though he was getting used to it since his time on Omega. 2 years. Before that bastard betrayed them, they were coming up to 2 years of being together and doing good deeds. Of righting wrongs. Of saving lives. All of it was for nothing now. Garrus couldn't continue without a squad. And there was no point in forming another one. All of the major mercenary groups were out for his head. He was trapped.

That was something his manager at C-Sec would be impressed about. This would be something Shepard could never believe. At a time like this, he wished she was here.

_Maybe I'll be joining you soon than I imagined_ Garrus thought as he continued to carry the bodies down to their final resting place.


	35. Investigate

**Investigate**

His feelers were able to give him valuable information. Information that he could use at a later date to track him down and avenge his men.

_If there _is_ a later date_ Garrus thought. Without his men providing support, his chances of survival against the mercs was slim.

The information was about the recent transactions Sidonis had done. Just before the attack, he had booked transport off Omega to an unspecified place. He also cleared out his private accounts. In conclusion, he sold Garrus out and ran.

_Coward_ Garrus thought. The worst thing a turian could do was lie. Every turian was taught to own every decision they made, good or ill. If Garrus catches Sidonis and questions him directly about the murder, he'll likely confess.

But he'd need to find Sidonis first before he could catch him. Garrus informed his feelers to keep track of anything that could lead him to Sidonis. Even if the lead was slim, it was better than nothing.


	36. Prey

**Prey**

He was exhausted from fighting. But he couldn't stop. The mercs were storming his base more and more now. Thank the spirits for that bridge though. The mercs would just funnel their men across it, hoping somebody would get inside. The bridge was a killing ground. Garrus always stopped the idiots before they even took two steps on the bridge.

But it was wearing on him. Their numbers were increasing. And he was getting tired without his squad to back him up. On most nights, he camped out near the window where he had a clear view of the bridge and just waited until somebody made a move.

He was the hunter and they were the prey. But there was only one of him against hundreds of prey. He knew he couldn't last forever. One day, they'd get him.


	37. Miracle

**Miracle**

The infiltration unit was trying assault the base. They were all lined up, hitting him with everything they had. Garrus had resorted to using his helmet today, just for that little extra protection.

One merc fired a grenade launcher at the window. He overshot and the grenade sailed past and exploded on the other side of the room. Garrus took a chance and came out of cover. The first guy in his sights was his target. He fired. Square in the chest. Not his best but at least he died.

He saw three more mercs drop down behind the infiltration unit. Looked like two women and a man. Only one women wore armor, the other two were wearing tight casual clothes. Their guns were higher quality than the mercs though. Garrus decided to take a look at these new arrivals.

That's when he saw it. On the armored woman's chest plate. The little N7 in the corner. Garrus knew only one person who owned N7 armor. He lifted the scope to her face. It was her. It had to be her. The blond hair, blue eyes and gentle expression. She was back. It was a _miracle_.

Maybe he had a chance after all.


	38. Back from the Dead

**Back from the Dead**

"Archangel?" she asked him.

He held up a finger to signal he had someone in his sights. There was one stray merc who was cowering behind a wall. He watched as the merc slowly exited his cover. His eyes trained right up to Garrus, who shot him first.

The merc let out a gasp and fell backwards to the ground. Satisfied, Garrus rose up. He removed his helmet so she could see. No doubt this was her. She'd recognize him. He took a seat upon a few crates, getting comfortable for all the questions she'd have for him.

"Shepard" he began "I thought you were dead".

Joy took over her whole body. She spread her arms wide and smiled the way he always remembered.

"Garrus! What are you doing here?" Excitement filled her voice.

"Just keeping my skills sharp. A little target practice" he joked.

"You okay?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Been better but it sure is good to see a friendly face" he replied.

Back from the dead. He still couldn't believe it. It was good to have her back.


	39. Hold On

**Hold On**

When the missile hit him, she thought he was done for.

"Garrus!" Shepard cried out. No answer. Glancing toward the floor she saw blood already pooling around his face. She needed to take this ship down fast. He wouldn't have much time. She ordered her squad to draw the gunship's fire so she could take out the pilot. They did so and in a matter of minutes, the gunship went down.

Shepard rushed to his side and kneeled down carefully. There was a lot of blood, even though she had destroyed the ship minutes after he was hit. She carefully rolled him over, hoping for any sign of life.

_C'mon Garrus. Don't die on me now_

As if on cue, he started breathing labored raged breaths. He coughed up more blood but all that mattered to her was that he was fighting to live.

"We're getting you out of here Garrus. Just _hold on_" Shepard comforted.

The look in his eyes told her he wasn't about to give up. All she could do was smile as they rushed him back to the Normandy.


	40. Return

**Return**

Garrus awoke a few hours later in the Normandy's med-bay. The _new_ Normandy's med-bay. Built by Cerberus. Which meant the crew was Cerberus. And Shepard was technically Cerberus too, but Garrus knew she'd never stand for that. She was Alliance through and through.

Dr. Chakwas finished bandaging the side of his face that took the missile. It was bad but she was glad to tell him he'd make a full recovery in time. She also informed him that Shepard was downstairs in the debriefing room if he wanted to go and see her. Garrus thanked her and made his way down as quickly as he could.

When he entered the debriefing room, she was in the middle of listening to a male crew member but Shepard didn't look like she was listening. As soon as she saw him enter, a genuine smile spread across her face. It made her eyes light up. She looked beautiful.

"Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" he asked her outright.

"Hell Garrus you were always ugly. Slap some facepaint on there and no one will even notice" she joked.

Garrus had to laugh, but immediately regretted it when his whole face ached in pain. He didn't realize how much he missed Shepard. Having her back...it would be just like old times. He knew that for sure.


	41. Worrisome

**Worrisome **

She had to admit to herself, she was worried about him. She went to talk to him about Omega after he was settled in on the ship. Shepard couldn't believe what he went through in the past two years. Part of her was proud of him yet part of her was worried about him.

It seemed the only thing he was focused on at the moment was finding that turian – Sidonis – who betrayed him and killed his whole squad. Shepard hoped he would be able to find him since she didn't want Garrus distracted for when the Suicide Mission arrived.

For now, she wouldn't tell him she was worried. But eventually, if things didn't change, she would and she'd help him get through this.


	42. Enemy

**Enemy **

It was...strange to be working for the enemy that she opposed while hunting down Saren. Cerberus wasn't too big during her investigation, but enough that they became a nagging problem. Their sick tests, the murder of Admiral Kahoku.

And now she had no choice but to work for them. It wasn't fair. But in all her anger towards the organization, she had to realize the only reason she agreed to 'work' for them was to figure out what was happening to the human colonies. That was the cause of the Collectors, a race of aliens who live beyond the Omega 4 relay.

Shepard didn't know anything about them until now. She still didn't have much knowledge about them but that could wait. If they were involved, it was enough evidence for her. That was the point of the Suicide Mission after all. Build a lethal team of fighters and take them right to the Collector homeworld.

Impossible seemed like a perfect word for her current situation, but for Shepard...impossible didn't exist in the dictionary.


	43. Scientist

**Scientist **

Garrus hated to be back on Omega again. Everything reminded him of Sidonis and how he didn't even make a dent in Omega's crime against civilians. But he wasn't going to say no to Shepard when it came to joining her on missions. If she needed him, he'd be there no matter what. But that still didn't make him feel any better about being back on Omega. Maybe once they got into a fight he could get it off his mind.

He'd just have to hope that the mission would be simple and then they could all go home...so to speak.

Get into the quarantine zone. Get the professor. Leave.

Simple right?

Not in this galaxy.

Nothing was_ ever_ simple in this galaxy. There were_ always_ strings attached.


	44. Reminiscing

**Reminiscing**

The presidium looked quite stunning even if only 2 years had passed since it was buried under fragments of Sovereign. It would still take another few years to completely repair it, but for the most part, it looked wonderful.

Shepard had just finished her meeting with the Council. She was glad Anderson was settling in as the new councillor for humanity. After speaking with him, she stayed in the office just a little longer, to look out at the view.

"You know, that's where we first met" Garrus said to Shepard.

Shepard turned away from the view to smile at him "Up on the tower. Though I consider our real first meeting in Doctor Michel's office. That's where you joined me".

"Only because you let me" Garrus said.

"And I'm glad I let you. You're the only person I can trust" Shepard said sincerely.

Garrus didn't respond. Instead he just stood next to her and admired the view of presidium while reminiscing about the past in his mind.


	45. Elegance

**Elegance **

Dresses were something Shepard was not used to. She had been in the military her whole life. That didn't leave her time to wear heels or dresses. But Kasumi was right – Shepard wouldn't fit in at Donovan Hock's party if she arrived in armor. She had no choice but to wear this kind of attire.

The dress was black, form-fitting and simple, yet elegant at the same time. The heels were easy enough to walk in. For the first time in a long time, Shepard felt beautiful.

"C'mon Shep! Let's see!" Kasumi beckoned from the other side of the door.

Shepard took a breath. "Promise me you won't laugh".

"Of course not!" the thief replied.

With that, Shepard stepped close enough to the door so that it slide open for her. Kasumi placed her hands on her hips and looked her up and down briefly.

"Absolutely gorgeous Ms. Allison Gunn. I'm sure Mr. Hock will be impressed" Kasumi said.

"Great. Let's go. Get this over with" Shepard said hastily.

Kasumi laughed "Of course. Wouldn't want to be late now, would we?"


	46. Horizon

**Horizon**

He could tell she was still upset from the mission. Even if they interrupted the Collectors during the abduction, half the colony was lost either way.

"How are you doing?" Garrus asked her.

Shepard glanced up at him "As well as I can be. I'm still frustrated at the Illusive Man. Did you know that he _lured_ the Collectors there?"

"No. I didn't" Garrus replied, voice full of shock.

"It's his way of getting more information on them because we can't sit around and wait for their next attack" Shepard explained.

"That still doesn't make it better for luring the Collectors to that colony" Garrus reasoned.

"Yeah. I know. I'm glad Kaidan's okay" Shepard said.

"You sure? The man accused you of betrayal" Garrus said.

"He had every right too. He doesn't trust Cerberus. I don't either but I don't have a choice here. We just need to stop the Collectors, and then we answer to Cerberus no more" Shepard explained.


	47. Trap

**Trap**

She should have known it was too good to be true. There was no way the turians could have disabled the Collector ship just by themselves. But she went along with the Illusive Man's plan and boarded the ship.

And he led them straight into a trap.

Luckily, everybody escaped unharmed. But that didn't make Shepard feel any better. She spoke her mind to the Illusive Man afterwards about what he'd done and all he said was the same thing.

"We can't sit around and wait".

Through all her anger, she hated to admit he was right. But Shepard didn't risk people. There were _always _alternatives.

At least they acquired more information about the Omega 4 relay. The suicide mission was fast approaching. Then she could be finally done with Cerberus.


	48. Comrades

**Comrades**

It was good to have Tali back. She was somebody Shepard could trust, Garrus had decided. He knew Tali was like Shepard's sister. They had both been pretty close back on the old Normandy. They had a lot in common, since Shepard was raised out in space just like Tali.

Though Garrus was surprised that Tali joined. He talked with her after she came aboard. She disliked Cerberus to the extreme. According to her, they had a history with the quarians. She didn't go into too much detail, but there was enough evidence in her story that allowed her to hold a grudge against the organization.

"How do you feel about working for them?" she asked.

"I don't work for them. I work for Shepard, as does everybody else" Garrus corrected.

"Fair enough" Tali agreed.

"It's good to have you back though. Until you arrive, I only had trust in Shepard. Now I have Shepard and you. As does Shepard" Garrus said.

"Thanks. It's good to be back as well although the circumstances could be better" Tali said.

"Suicide Mission?" Garrus questioned.

"Yeah. But hey, who doesn't like impossible odds every now and then?" Tali said, in attempt to lighten the mood.

"As long as we have Shepard, we can't fail" Garrus said.

Garrus was sure she smiled at him (although he wasn't 100% sure) before she took off down to engineering once again.


	49. Caring

**Authour's Note: I apologize for the slow updates. I'm battling writer's block and can't come up with any creative/unique chapters. I hope I get inspired soon!**

* * *

**Caring**

When Shepard first met Miranda, she saw the woman as a bitter and cold-hearted. A woman who was worried Shepard might become the new favourite. Shepard had no interest in this woman who was supposedly 'perfect'.

But when she helped her resolve the matter about her sister, Shepard realized there was more to Miranda than meets the eye. She was extremely protective of Oriana – her twin sister. Throughout the mission, the only thing Miranda mentioned was saving her sister from her father's impulse.

She was glad she was able to convince Miranda to talk to her sister once they had made sure she was safe from the Eclipse and her father. She needed to know she had a sister who loves her and cares about her.

And Shepard was finally able to admit to herself she...liked Miranda. Now she wouldn't view her as a cold-hearted bitch, but as an overprotective sister who was just a tad cocky.


	50. Located

**Located**

It was the same kind of day on the Normandy. Shepard was occupied once again, helping her squad with their 'daddy issues' as she called it. Today, she was heading to Tuchanka to help Mordin and Grunt.

Garrus wasn't expecting to have Shepard help him with anything. There was nothing he needed aid with at the moment.

_Until today._

One of his feelers sent him a message. A message that he'd been waiting for since that horrific day on Omega. The message was simple and short but told him everything he needed to know.

_I know about Sidonis' whereabouts. Head to the Citadel. Look for a specialist named "Fade". Guy built a reputation at helping people 'disappear'. Hope you find what you're looking for._

That was the entire message, but it was enough. It was everything and more. He could defiantly track Sidonis down with this sort of information. Garrus notified Shepard's yeoman, Kelly Chambers. He advised Kelly to tell Shepard he would need her help after all.

This time, he'd make sure Sidonis didn't get away.


	51. Hide and Seek

**Hide and Seek**

When she heard from Kelly about Garrus' discovery after returning from Tuchanka, she went straight to him. This was something that he had been following him since the day she brought him aboard the Normandy.

Finding Sidonis had been his goal.

At the battery, he explained his plan to her. Shepard didn't like it. She didn't approve of his plan to kill Sidonis. He may have good reason to, but he knew better than that. Still, Shepard decided not to question his idea any further.

She agreed to head to the Citadel to help his resolve this matter. She did have a plan herself though. It was risky but she had to do it. She was planning on talking Garrus out of killing Sidonis.

Because she taught him. And he needed to learn what she had in mind.


	52. Frustration

**Frustration**

Garrus couldn't hide the fact he was upset with Shepard. She got in front of his shot. Stopped him from killing Sidonis. He wasn't pleased at all. That moment meant everything to him. He had waited for the day when he could finally end that bastard's life.

And she got in his way and stopped him. Garrus knew it was because Shepard was worried about him. She kept mentioning that throughout the mission. Or maybe she stopped him because he knew better. She taught him a lot. She pointed out that there was nothing left of Sidonis. He was already dead, living with the guilt of being responsible for the death of Garrus' squad.

There would be no point in killing him. So Garrus decided to let him go. Sometimes he hated it when Shepard was right. But already he'd forgotten about Sidonis and at last let his men's memory go.


	53. Reach and Flexibility

**Reach and Flexibility**

The words slipped out of Shepard's mouth before she had time to take them back. Part of her had no idea what made her think this way. Did she really just ask her best friend if he wanted to 'blow off steam' with her?

That she did.

And to her surprise, he said he'd think about it. In all her life, Shepard never thought she'd fall for an alien, let alone that alien being a turian. But she cared about him a lot. He had gone through so much in the past years and he never got anything in return.

Shepard knew she was the only person who could give him that. He deserved something better. Admittedly, she had feelings for him. She wanted to become more than friends with Garrus...

And secretly, he wanted that as well.


	54. Observe

**Observe**

Shepard was trying her best at hiding the fact from the rest of her crew that she'd fallen for Garrus. He had said to try to not disrupt the crew, but there were so many ears on the Normandy. Somebody was bound to pick up on something, even if it wasn't very significant.

Unfortunately, there was one person on the Normandy who knew everything about everyone. She was the number one source for gossip traveling all over the Normandy. That person was none other than the silent Kasumi Goto, who wasn't all that silent when it came to gossip. Shepard – who was doing her usual rounds, checking in on everybody – discovered that the clever Miss Goto had known about Shepard's feelings for some time.

"The word is that Garrus _really_ likes you". She stated this the moment Shepard walked in to Kasumi's room.

"I can never tell with turians. I think you should go for it. A lot of people want to see you two together". In trying to calm Shepard down before she freaked, she offered her support.

Shepard was grateful but told Kasumi not to tell anyone. Shepard used a serious tone in her voice so that her message came across clear. She was certain that if this got out, the complications would be unbearable.


	55. Treason

**Treason**

When Tali told Shepard about the admiralty board accusing her of treason, Shepard thought they were crazy. There was no way in hell Tali would ever do such a thing. She was too innocent, too kind and cared about her people too much to just betray them. In a heartbeat, Shepard agreed to go to Tali's trial and speak for her.

* * *

Once the trial was over, and Tali's charges had been cleared she could forget anything had ever happened. It was a tragedy that Tali's father had died but she would mourn him and move on, knowing that when the day came the quarians claimed their homeworld back, he'd be smiling down on her.

Shepard on the other hand was glad she was able to resolve the problem. Tali was like a little sister to her. They had a lot in common – being raised on ships was one thing. She would do anything to make sure Tali could stay apart of the Migrant Fleet.

And that's exactly what she did. Yell at the admirals long enough until they realized Shepard was right.


	56. Synthetic

**Synthetic**

There were a lot of things in this galaxy that made no sense. There were things that Shepard had encountered on her missions that probably shouldn't even exist. Like the Thorian on Feros. That was a talking plant. Or Sovereign – a talking reaper. But on board the derelict reaper today, Shepard never thought she'd find what she found today.

A talking geth. A single geth unit that could talk all on its own. Which made no sense because Tali argued saying a single geth would have the intelligence equal to that of a varren. The thing probably saved their lives, which got Shepard interested. She wanted to learn how this thing knew her name.

* * *

With the Reaper IFF recovered, the suicide mission could begin shortly. That damned geth had been disabled by a husk, which prompted Shepard to grab the thing after destroying the core and bring it back to the Normandy. Now she was facing it, working up the courage to activate it.

With a small breath, she illuminated her omni-tool and started the activation process.

_Tali is gonna freak _she thought.


	57. Deserted

**Deserted **

Garrus had never seen the Normandy so empty before. The mess was usually full of people, chatting about the team or past missions or just dining on a meal. But now, it was completely and utterly deserted.

Every level of the ship was empty. All the crew was gone. The Collectors had taken them while Shepard was away thus making the suicide mission even more desperate than before. Garrus knew Shepard was upset. She had to initiate the mission now to save her crew. That's the kind of women she was. Leave _no one_ behind.

At the moment though, Garrus couldn't stop thinking about what he and Shepard had talked about. They had both agreed to 'blow off steam' together but Shepard never specified a time. Right now seemed like as good a time as any since the mission he was about to partake on was suicide. He might not see tomorrow.

And Shepard needed him tonight. And he needed her too.


	58. Pleasure

**Pleasure **

Shepard wasn't expecting any company tonight. All she planned to do was shower and wait in her cabin for 2 hours until Joker informed her they were close to the Omega 4 relay. She couldn't think of anything better to do.

But she defiantly wasn't expecting to see Garrus outside her bathroom door, with wine and dressed in civilian clothes. Immediately she knew why he was here. The discussion of blowing off steam together flooded her mind.

He wanted to do it tonight because it could be their last. Shepard had no objection to that. As Shepard approached him, he started complimenting her the best way he knew how. Of course she could tell he was nervous as the compliments almost made her laugh.

"If you were a turian, I'd be complimenting your waist or your fringe. So...your...hair looks good and your waist is...very supportive" Garrus stuttered nervously.

All Shepard could do was smile and hold back her rising laughter. That would ruin the moment.

"Hopefully that's not offensive in human culture..." Garrus spoke but Shepard interrupted him before he could finish.

"Wow, consider seduced smooth talker. Now shut up and stop worrying" Shepard said softly.

She turned off the music and faced Garrus again. He started speaking again. This time, Shepard listened.

"I've seen so many things go wrong Shepard. My work at C-Sec what happened with Sidonis. I want something to go right. Just once...just" Shepard stopped him by lightly caressing his face with her hand.

And at that moment he no longer seemed nervous or awkward. They leaned into each other and touched foreheads affectionately. Tonight would be full of pleasure for both.


	59. Promise

**Promise**

The experience Shepard had gone through was unlike anything she had experienced before. Her intimate night with Garrus had been successful and quite satisfying. She'd go again if she could but the Normandy would be at the Omega 4 relay in less than 30 minutes. Not enough time by Shepard and Garrus' standards.

She awoke in bed, curled into his side. He was already awake, watching her sleep. She glanced up at him and smiled before leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"I still can't believe we did that" Garrus said softly.

"I know. But you've gotta admit, it was fun I mean, I would go again if we had the time" Shepard said in a soft voice.

"I would too" Garrus agreed.

That earned him a playful laugh from Shepard but then her smile faded and worry filled her eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"You're going to win this thing" Garrus encouraged.

"_We're _going to win" Shepard corrected.

"You know it" Garrus replied.

"Can you promise me to come back?" Shepard asked.

"Only if you'll do the same"

"Deal" Shepard agreed.

"Deal" Garrus said as well before pulling her in for one last embrace.


	60. Victory

**Victory**

They said the suicide mission would be impossible. They said people would die. But Shepard was a woman who built a career on performing the impossible. She always succeeded, not matter the odds. And today she did just that.

The suicide mission was a total success. The crew was alive. The Normandy escaped with a few scratches but nothing that couldn't be repaired in time. Shepard still couldn't believe it herself that she had survived. The shock was still wearing off.

But she had made a promise with someone she cared about. To return alive. Because Shepard didn't want what she had with Garrus to end. No, the way Shepard saw it, she could see herself spending the rest of her life with him. That's how much she cared and how much she wanted this relationship.


	61. Murder

**Murder**

Garrus was relieved that Shepard was back after the mission on Aratoht. She'd been gone for 2 two days, supposedly sedated by Dr. Kenson. The woman had been indoctrinated by Object Rho no doubt. She wanted to let the Reapers through the Alpha Relay. Shepard of course had to stop her.

Shepard explained she awoke with less than an hour before the Reapers were supposed to arrive. She had no choice but to activate the Project and send the asteroid into the Mass Relay. And unfortunately, in doing so, she wiped out the entire Bahak system. Approximately 300,000 batarians lost their lives.

And Shepard was responsible for it. But Garrus wouldn't let anybody hurt. He'd protect her and keep her safe because she was important to him. He cared about her and wanted her to know that.


	62. See You Soon

**See You Soon**

The time had finally come. Shepard was heading back to Earth today so she could turn the Normandy back over to the Alliance and turn herself in. She knew she had to do this but part of her didn't want to. Going back to the Alliance meant her crew had to go. Including Garrus.

Most of her crew had left before she went on the mission to rescue Dr. Kenson. The remaining crew had all decided to get off on the Citadel. They'd be able to find transport from there.

Shepard waited at the airlock to say goodbye to her friends and thank them for all their help. The last person she said goodbye to was Garrus. It was also the hardest person to say goodbye to.

"So" Shepard began "I guess this where we say goodbye".

"Yeah" Garrus said, his voice soft but heavy.

"Hey. Don't worry. We'll see each other again. I can't beat the Reapers without you" Shepard said comfortingly.

"Damn right you can't" Garrus agreed.

Before he left, they pressed foreheads gently. Once again, Shepard was overcome with a feeling; she never wanted to leave this moment. But she _had_ to.

When they released from their embrace, Garrus gave her a slight nod. Then he entered the airlock and disappeared into the tunnel that leads to the Citadel.

"See you soon" Shepard whispered to herself.


	63. Homecoming

**Homecoming**

It would be good to see Palaven again. Garrus knew he hadn't been back in a few years. He missed home and his family. He wasn't sure though if his family missed him. He never told them he went to Omega. Well he did contact his father one time but he never specified his whereabouts. They were probably angry. Or worried. Or both. He'd find out once he arrived.

Another thing he was eager to find out about was his mother's condition. She had been diagnosed with Corpalis syndrome around the time he turned 15. Then began to slow process of neural degeneration. She was probably in the hospital, living out the rest of her days hooked up to various machines.

Garrus knew he had to go and see her one last time even if she couldn't remember her own son.


	64. Lockdown

**Lockdown**

The detention room that Shepard had been locked in wasn't too bad to say the least. It had decent views of Vancouver. The room wasn't uncomfortably small but it wasn't spacious either. It was somewhere between those two. The bed was soft, softer than the one on the Normandy. That itself was a luxury.

All in all, the room wasn't bad but Shepard still didn't like it. Boredom could easily sneak up on her. The only thing she could do was read reports or gaze out the window and think. Mostly she thought of Garrus and wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he thought of her.

It was going to be a struggle to stay sane while locked up. All Shepard could do was hope somebody would eventually believe her claims about the Reapers imminent arrival. Otherwise, she'd be here forever.


	65. Palaven

**Palaven**

Garrus' transport arrived on Palaven. Home. He was back. It was a good feeling. He'd informed his father he was coming back and they decided to meet at the transport terminal. Garrus didn't tell Solana though. He figured his father would bring her along anyway. In a way, Garrus was nervous to see them again. He knew they'd be disappointed but they've had to of missed him at some point.

Exiting the transport, Garrus surveyed the crowds of people for his father and sister. It took a few moments but soon his eyes fell upon the gentle face of his sister. Next to her was the stern face of his father. He made his way over to them.

Solana noticed Garrus first. When she saw he was coming towards her, she started heading towards him. Face to face, Garrus was about to speak but was cut off by his sister slapping his face.

"Yeah. I probably deserved that" Garrus said once he recovered.

"2 years?! You fell off the grid for 2 years and didn't tell anyone?" Solana spat.

"I know...it's just...let me explain later, alright? I'm sorry, Sol" Garrus explained.

His sister's emerald-green eyes pierced into his blue eyes. She was angry, even more than his father which was surprising. Then suddenly Solana was right up against him, hugging tight. Another surprise.

"I'm still mad at you but, damn it I'm glad you're back" Solana said.

"It's good to be back Sol" Garrus said, hugging his sister back.


	66. Visitor

**Visitor **

Already a month had passed and it didn't look like there had been any progress with Shepard's claims about the Reapers. It was starting to unnerve her. She hated when the politicians argued, nothing ever happened. The truth was right there in front of them. They just refused to believe it.

She couldn't see herself moving from this place for a while. She grown accustomed to her little room already but there wasn't much she could do in the room. Thinking became her best friend. It was her only way to stay sane.

"Commander, you have a visitor" a voice said behind her.

Shepard turned around to see her bodyguard, Lieutenant James Vega. He'd been assigned to watch over her about 2 weeks ago. A nice guy but she was still getting to know him.

"Send them in Lieutenant" Shepard replied.

The familiar face of Hannah Shepard emerged from behind James. She had the sweetest smile on her face. She was radiating joy.

"Mom" Shepard said.

"Hello my dear. Thought I'd come by and see you" Hannah said happily.

Mother and daughter embraced for the first time in a long time. Tears threatened to roll down Shepard's cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" Shepard asked.

"I'll tell you. I've arranged to take you out under my guard. Let's take a walk, dear" Hannah said.

Shepard smiled and followed her mother out of the room. It was nice to see her again. She missed her.


	67. Issue

**Issue **

Garrus hadn't been home for more than 5 minutes when his sister started asking questions. She wanted to know where he went, why he didn't contact his family, what made him want to see them now. It never ended.

"Sol. Sol stop it" Garrus said as forcefully as he could.

Solana stopped and gave him an innocent look. He sighed and spoke first.

"One question at a time alright? I'll sit you down with dad too, but first, I need to know how mom is doing" Garrus explained.

"Oh so now you start worrying about her" Solana said angrily.

"I_ never_ stopped" Garrus shot back.

Solana seemed taken aback by his words. She took a moment to collect herself before answering his question.

"She's in the hospital. She's been there since you fell of the grid 2 years ago. The doctors have done their best to keep her condition stable" Solana explained.

"Did it work?" Garrus asked.

Solana continued. "For a time. But...there's only so much they could do. Mom doesn't remember me. That happened about a month ago. She barely remembers dad and...well...we don't know if she remembers you or not"

"I want to see her" Garrus said outright.

For a moment, he expected Sol to just wave it off and say he needed to answer their questions now. But to his surprise she didn't.

"Let's go" she said.


	68. Recognition

**Recognition**

Garrus hated hospitals. They were sterile and smelled of medicines and sick people. It wasn't a place he would ever want to die in but if the doctors were able keep his mother alive in this building, he couldn't argue.

Solana let him enter the room first. Garrus hesitantly approached his mother who was lying in a bed, swathed in delicate white sheets. As he expected, she was hooked up to machines of all sorts that gave off different readings for her doctors. Her eyes were closed. Garrus thought it would be rude to wake her, but he had to know if she still remembered him.

Gently he took her hand in his. At this moment, his mother's eyes opened slowly. Her head turned ever so slightly. Her eyes – emerald like Solana's – gazed into his. Garrus waited – waited for her to speak first.

"Garrus" she said, her voice barely audible "You're home".

"Yeah. I needed to come and see you. I'm sorry for everything" Garrus said.

"Don't be sorry, my love. I'm glad you're here. I wanted to see you one last time before I forget who you are" his mother said softly.

If turians could cry, Garrus knew he would be that now. Instead he just held his mother's hand, sat by her bedside and reminisced with her.


	69. Fed Up

**Fed Up**

It was coming up to 3 months of being in lockdown. Shepard was on the verge of planning a break out; she couldn't believe how long it was taking. Every day she got word about the defense committee and what they were debating. They had actually set up some defense around Earth. Shepard's claims were finally getting through to them.

But it wasn't enough. A few ships wouldn't stop the Reaper invasion. They needed all the species and all their ships to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. But Shepard knew the committee wouldn't go that far; not yet anyway.

The walls of Shepard's room felt like they were closing in around her. She was fed up, restless and of all things, bored out of her mind. Breaking out didn't seem like such a bad idea.


	70. Farewell

**Authour's note: What! 70 chapters already? And I'm not even close to being finished! Thanks to anyone who has followed/favourited/reviewed - I appreciate the support! Hope you're all enjoying the story so far :)**

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**Farewell**

It was time. Garrus knew it the moment the hospital called their home. His mother's condition was at its worst and it was time to say goodbye to her. For good.

Garrus met Solana and his father at the hospital in her room. His mother looked ashen. Her eyes continually stared at the ceiling unblinking and gazed over. Her breaths were shallow and quiet. For all you knew, she was already dead. The only thing telling you she wasn't was the constant beep of the machines she was attached to.

She no longer remembered she has a husband or that she has a son and a daughter. It was heartbreaking to see her like this. Garrus wanted her misery to end. This disease had gone on long enough.

His father held his mother's hand. Garrus and Solana hovered around her bed. The time finally came when the constant beep turned into a flat line. Solana rested her head on Garrus' shoulder. His father bowed his head slightly.

The only thing they could do now was mourn.


	71. Cut

**Cut**

4 months and Shepard was still in lockdown. It didn't look like there had been any progress with the Reaper situation besides the small defense force the committee had put around Earth about a month ago.

Boredom pestered Shepard every day. The only way she could avoid it was to get permission to leave her room under guard. Usually James would be the one to guard her. She'd just take a walk and clear her head.

But today, Shepard was feeling experimental. She had noticed her blond locks had grown significantly since she was put in lockdown. The hair was going past regulations and she didn't want somebody to shave it all off either. Shepard wanted to cut it herself.

With some persuasion, she got James to bring her some scissors. Shepard had never done this before and had a feeling she would fail horribly. But to her surprise she did a pretty good job. James admitted he was impressed.

It would take some getting used to, but Shepard had a feeling she would grow to love the short style she'd given herself.


	72. Taking Action

**Taking Action**

Home seemed emptier without a mother around. Garrus couldn't believe already 2 weeks had passed since her death. At least she was in a better place. Her disease had gone on long enough and had caused her too much suffering.

After his mother's death, Garrus started to get a grip on things. It was time for him take action. He needed to explain to his father and sister where he'd been for the last 2 years. He owed them that explanation. They also needed to know the truth about the Reapers. He didn't know how much longer they had until their arrival.

If he couldn't save his mother, he could at least was try to save his species. And in order to that, Garrus needed to gather help.


	73. Space

**Space**

Another rainy evening in Vancouver. Shepard couldn't believe how much rain there was. It was depressing and watching the rain through the window didn't help Shepard feel any better either. She was never really...comfortable on any planet surface. Shepard was a Spacer. The vast, star sprinkled sky was her home.

Earth was planet she could breathe on but Shepard felt like she had no room at all. Space was the one place Shepard couldn't breathe and she felt like she had all the room in the world. Strange, but it's how she was raised. She missed her ship and the great expanse of space. She longed to go home.

But her home wasn't the nicest place when she really thought about it. Somewhere out there the Reapers were moving in from Dark Space to invade every homeworld in the galaxy. And when the Reapers arrived, nowhere would be safe. Not even space.


	74. Aid

**Aid**

Sitting down and talking to his father was...odd. Garrus was sure that he wouldn't believe a word he said. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if his father claimed he'd gone crazy. Garrus was still wondering why he hadn't gone mad himself, even after everything he'd been through.

But when it was the fate of the entire galaxy you were talking about, it was hard not to sound serious. His father never interrupted him, never twitched a muscle, and never said a word until Garrus had finishing filling him in on the Reapers; starting with Saren and finishing with the Collector base.

"I know this is a lot to take in...but it's the truth. I swear on the Spirits" Garrus said once finished explaining.

His father took a deep breath and clasped his hands together on top of the table he was sitting at. The suspense was killing Garrus.

"The connections are all there Garrus. Therefore, I believe you and I believe we're running out of time. I'll talk to Primarch Fedorian" his father concluded.

Garrus felt relief wash over him. Finally, somebody believed him.


	75. Lost

**Lost**

Shepard hated to admit to herself that she was starting to get used to the solitude. She'd spend hours just sitting on her bed, looking out the window and just...thinking. 5 months had passed and she figured she wasn't getting out any time soon.

There was a lot to think about. Shepard wondered what her crew was doing, what her mother was worrying about. She tried not to think about the Reapers, but it was hard when you knew impending doom could arrive on any day. If she could, she'd occupy her mind with happy thoughts.

But the one person she thought of most was Garrus. She had been struggling to hide how much she missed him. Every day and every night he was on her mind. Shepard would think back to their night before the Collector base and how much that night meant to her.

_He_ meant so much to her. So she thought of him all the time and hoped he was okay and prayed that she would see him again.


	76. Arrival

**Arrival**

6 months of lockdown had passed about a week and a half ago. Nothing had moved. Shepard still found herself in the detention centre. Politics really pissed Shepard off. They debated and argued for 6 months already and made no progress.

It was early afternoon. Shepard had read reports for the past hour. She found herself distracted by a young boy playing on a rooftop garden. The way he played with his toy ship was adorable and Shepard couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Unsuspectingly, she heard her door open. Standing there was James, her guard who she'd gotten to know quite well since being put in lockup.

"Commander" he saluted.

"You're not supposed to call me that anymore James" Shepard reminded him.

"Not supposed to salute you either. We gotta go the defense committee wants to see you" James said.

The committee wanted to see her? This sparked Shepard's attention. Were they finally taking action? Or worse. Were the Reapers about to arrive?


	77. Reports

**Reports**

The day had finally come. Reports were flying all over the galaxy. The Reapers had arrived and chaos followed in their wake. The batarian homeworld – Kar'shan – had been hit first when the Reapers surged through the relay. Earth was next and was under heavy bombardment.

Garrus knew the Reapers would be at Palaven any day now. Thank the Spirits Fedorian had listened to his father and provided some support. It wasn't much, but it may just be their saving grace.

Hearing about Earth made Garrus immediately think of Shepard. He hadn't thought much about her since they parted ways and now he felt guilty. He prayed she was okay and had made it off Earth safely. He wanted to see her again, fight by her side again. He knew she couldn't win this war without him and vice versa.

Because deep down, Shepard meant everything to Garrus.


	78. Escape

**Escape**

Shepard knew it had to be the Reapers. They arrived while she was speaking to the committee. It was horrific, watching the Sovereign class Reaper descend from the clouds and start tearing through the streets with its bright red laser. Nobody wanted this day to come. Unfortunately, it did.

Shepard was lucky though. She managed to escape in the Normandy along with James and to her surprise, Kaidan. She ran into him just before meeting with the committee. Upon seeing him, Shepard remembered their fight on Horizon. She preferred not to think of those memories.

It was hard to leave Earth. To leave Anderson behind. She didn't want to leave but the one thing that made it bearable enough for Shepard was knowing Garrus was out there somewhere. She'd find him no matter what.


	79. Mars

**Mars**

Shepard still wasn't clear on why Hackett had sent her here. His message was barely audible. The parts she picked up on was something about a weapon located at the archives. If it could help them against the Reapers they might as well check it out.

Of all people Shepard expected to run into was Cerberus. Why were they here? Did they know about this weapon too? What was the Illusive Man planning? Seeing Cerberus again prompted Kaidan to question Shepard again. She did her best to explain she had no idea why they were here, but part of her knew he still didn't trust her just yet.

Surprisingly, Liara was at the archives as well, working here to uncover the weapon. If they could get the blueprints before Cerberus did, they might just have a way against the Reapers.


	80. Front Row

**Front Row**

Watching the Reapers arrive at your homeworld is something nobody will ever forget. Especially when you're watching that moment from the moon and you have front row seats of the destruction.

That destruction only fueled Garrus' rage for the Reapers. Leaving his family behind on Palaven and coming to Menae was a tough choice. It was even tougher being named the 'Expert Reaper Advisor' and give advice about them since he had the most experience.

He wasn't used to being a leader. But if he had to play Commander during times like this, he wouldn't refuse. He just hoped his people would be able to defend their world.


	81. Knock Out

**Knock Out**

Cerberus was making off with the data. It was a race against to stop the culprit – Dr. Eva Coré. Shepard was in hot pursuit of her with Liara and Kaidan following her swiftly. If she got away, they would have nothing.

Luckily, James was able to pick up on Shepard's distress and crashed their shuttle into Cerberus' shuttle. It wasn't how Shepard would have done it, but it was the only option they had to stop Cerberus. Kaidan helped Liara to her feet while Shepard hailed the Normandy for pick up.

Shepard was sure the crash killed Dr. Eva. But she wasn't. In the end she turned out to be a robot. She emerged from the shuttle and didn't seem happy. Kaidan immediately starting shooting but was overpowered by her and was brutally injured. Shepard deactivated her before she hurt anyone else.

With the data, they had a chance, but now Kaidan was in a fight for his life. He needed treatment soon.


	82. Hospital

**Hospital**

The citadel was their best option to get help for Kaidan. He was in bad shape. Liara had done what she could to stabilize his condition but he needed care from professionals.

After meeting with the council, Shepard went to visit him. She found herself overwhelmed with emotion. Part of her was still angry at him for accusing her of working with Cerberus back on Mars. But this was also her friend and she wasn't about to watch him die.

So she told him to fight, because Shepard knew, deep down, he was a fighter. He'd pull through and then he could rejoin her on the Normandy, one last time.


	83. Reunion

**Reunion **

When the turian councillor told her about Palaven and their Primarch, Shepard headed there without hesitation. Not because of the Primarch, but because of an old friend she might find there. She hadn't seen him for 6 months and she wanted him back.

Shepard figured he'd be on Palaven. She didn't think he'd come up to the moon but to her surprise, that's where she found him. Upon seeing him for the first time in 6 months almost made tears well up in her eyes. But she held them down, even if they were happy tears.

God, it was good to have Garrus back. She missed him so much.


	84. Liaison

**Liaison**

The battery was his favourite place on the Normandy. It was quiet, let him think without interruption. He felt guilty almost. Stowing himself away in the battery the moment he joined crew once again. But Garrus knew Shepard would understand why he needed the quiet.

He had a feeling she would come by and visit him. He wanted her to. Since seeing Shepard again, he had wondered where they stood. He wondered if she still carried feelings for him. Of course, she did.

She kissed him, held his hands tight and confessed she missed him. He missed her too and it was good to be back by her side.

Garrus knew now that there was nothing in this galaxy – not even the Reapers – that could come between this cross-species liaison.


	85. Fifty Thousand

**Fifty Thousand**

The discovery on Eden Prime was absolutely incredible. Difficult to believe as well. In all her life, Shepard never thought she'd see let alone meet a _Prothean_.

She couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the guy. He had just been brought forward fifty thousand years. He was the last Prothean left. The last one to avenge their species. Shepard couldn't even begin to wonder what that would feel like. Still this Prothean agreed to help them. He called himself Javik.

Shepard smiled to herself when she thought of Liara. This must be a dream come true for her, getting to meet the very species she dedicated her life to studying. Even though Javik wasn't what she expected, it was enough to bring a little joy into Liara's life.


	86. School

**School**

Life just wouldn't have been complete for Garrus if he didn't see Jack just one more time. He would've never guessed - even in his wildest dreams - that Jack would be an instructor at Grissom Academy. Guess a bit of Shepard's attitude rubbed off on her.

But she still hadn't gone totally soft. Her greeting of Shepard was typical. A punch to the face followed by accusations of "Don't trust Cerberus". Shepard kept her cool though and told Jack to calm down; they get the students out safely.

"As charming as ever" Garrus said to Jack. He couldn't resist after she punched Shepard.

"Bite me Garrus! Better yet, bite her. Probably how she likes it" Jack called out.

The situation suddenly became awkward, especially when Shepard turned to Garrus and gave him that all too familiar wink.

But Garrus had to admit to himself, he kind of wanted to do just that.


	87. Sur'Kesh

**Sur'Kesh**

It had been a hectic mission, no doubt. Cerberus was starting to put up a good fight. But that wasn't enough to stop Shepard from securing the female krogan. No matter what, she was going to give the krogan that cure. They deserved it. Wrex deserved it.

Seeing Mordin behind this was something Shepard should have expected yet she had to admit she didn't see it coming. With him on board the Normandy, Shepard had no doubts. He could formulate a cure for the krogan and with that, unite the krogan and turians for the war effort.

It was a long road ahead though, and Shepard knew it wasn't going to be easy.


	88. The Good Stuff

**Authour's Note: This chapter ties in with another fic I wrote called 'The Good Stuff' just so you don't get confused. Also just wanted to say thanks to those who have reviewed/followed/favourited. You guys are awesome!**

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**The Good Stuff**

Garrus had been wondering when Shepard wanted to crack open that bottle of expensive wine he had. After Sur'Kesh he received a message from her that short and simple, but had all the incentive he needed.

_Hey Garrus. Wanna crack open that bottle upstairs in my room? Catch up for a bit? My room is eerily quiet and I could use some company._

Garrus was on his way up in no time, bringing that bottle along with him. He hadn't had much one on one time with Shepard lately so right seemed like the perfect time to catch up.

* * *

The wine was everything and nothing what Garrus was expecting. Shepard had the same reaction. 150 credits was defiantly money well spent. It was good to have a talk with Shepard. He was getting worried about her lately and seeing her laugh and let loose was the most beautiful thing in world for Garrus.


	89. Spiders

**Spiders**

They may not be true 'spiders' per say, but Shepard was rounding them up to that. Giant, over-sized spiders are how she saw the Rachni. The thought of something with multiple legs crawling across her skin made her itch. Even if Grunt was there to kill them all, they still made Shepard shudder at every turn.

Finding the Queen was somewhat surprising. The Rachni that were on this planet had to of come from somewhere though. She was trapped, captured by the Reapers. If Shepard let her go, she promised to oppose the Reapers.

It was a hard decision, but in the end Shepard chose to save her once again. If these damn spiders were going to help build the Crucible and harass the Reapers, by all means, let them.


	90. Freed

**Freed**

Rewriting history is usually something people don't want to do. But the history Shepard rewrote today would mark the beginning of a new era for the Krogan. Curing the genophage; the disease that dwelled on them for more than 1000 years.

With this problem solved, Wrex agreed to send aid to Palaven and the Turians would send in their full support once the time came to retake Earth. It was a joyous victory today...at least for some.

Mordin – the brilliant Salarian who created this cure had to sacrifice his own life for the cause. The pain of losing another friend always hit Shepard hard but, she tried not to show it. He would be remembered for this no doubt.

He would be remembered as the model of a scientist salarian.


	91. Coup

**Coup**

Garrus figured it was good and bad that Cerberus attacked the Citadel. It was good – in a way – because now, people knew not even their precious Citadel was safe. War prep would finally be a priority. But since Cerberus attacked, it scared the hell out of everybody on the station which prompted them to panic.

Maybe that fear would keep them on edge.

It was nice to have Kaidan back on the ship. Garrus remembered when he first came aboard the Normandy and met Kaidan for the first time. He remembered the jealousy Kaidan held against him because Shepard was friendlier with her alien allies.

All that seemed to have vanished. Maybe now he could finally get along with the Major.


	92. Three Little Words

**Three Little Words**

The view atop the Presidium was incredible, magnificent, and breathtaking. Shepard didn't care that she was up here illegally with Garrus. She'd actually like to see C-Sec _try_ to arrest a Spectre.

She had a feeling about why Garrus brought her up here. They were alone, looking out at a daunting yet incredible view of the Presidium. It was quite romantic. He brought her up here to inquire about their relationship. He'd given her time to think about where they stood. And now it was time for Shepard to make that decision.

So she told him three little words that are the most important words ever to say in a relationship.

"I love you, Garrus Vakarian".

And when he grabbed her and kissed her like he meant it, Shepard knew Garrus loved her too.


	93. Afterlife

**Afterlife**

Fighting alongside Aria turned out to be quite an interesting partnership. Shepard never thought she'd see Omega again, but once there again; she was reminded she didn't miss it.

Petrovsky would be taken into custody. As much as Aria wanted to strangle the man who took control of her station in the first place, Shepard had to stop her. They needed the intel from him about the Illusive Man.

It was a shame that Nyreen died. Shepard had grown fond of the female turian, even though she only knew her for a bit. She was strong, agile and handled her biotics impressively. She would've fought well in the war.

At least Aria had her domain back. And now she could get back to reminding the galaxy about the one rule of Omega; don't _fuck _with Aria.


	94. Sisters at heart

**Sisters at heart**

It was partly infuriating that the quarians went to war with the geth in the middle of the war with the Reapers. Not only did Shepard have the worry about the Reapers, she now had the worry about the geth wiping out the entire quarian race before she could recruit them.

The admirals needed her help. The geth were under Reaper control which made them significantly stronger. They did however; find the signal which was emitting from a geth dreadnought. Disabling the signal would help immensely.

And who else would know how to disable the signal other than Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. The energetic, young quarian had return to provide aid. Shepard was glad she was back.

In her heart, Tali was a sister to her and it felt right to have her around again.


	95. Assistance

**Assistance**

In the main battery, there was nothing to do besides calibrate the Normandy's guns. Garrus knew and heard the gossip that traveled the ship about him doing those 'damned calibrations. What else would he do? Keeping the guns maintained was something he could do, in order to take things off his mind.

At one moment, Legion – the geth friend Shepard found on the dreadnought – tried to assist Garrus with his calibrations. The geth indicated the guns accuracy could only be improved by .32%. Of course Garrus knew better than that and upped the accuracy by .43%. Legion was legitimately confused.

Garrus couldn't help but smile at this. Proving a synthetic wrong had its benefits.


	96. Peace

**Peace**

Peace between the geth and quarians. Garrus never thought he'd see the day. And now they had two fleets for the price of one. Shepard's little army was gaining in strength.

Garrus remembered the fight on Rannoch. Legion had taken him and Tali away to a safe distance while Shepard tackled a Reaper Destroyer all by herself. Garrus wanted to argue, wanted to be back by his love's side, but part of him knew he'd only be interfering. Shepard could handle the Reaper - she'd done it before.

Then the choice came. The choice to give geth all intelligence so Shepard could gain their support against the Reapers. Garrus remembered Tali trying her best to talk the admirals down, to stop firing on the geth. And that's when Shepard came in and used her charm to talk them down. Her ability to enforce coercion was incredible. The admirals halted the attack and in that wake, peace ensued.

Shepard truly was a peacemaker. A quality Garrus admired very much.


	97. Darkness

**Darkness**

A rogue Reaper. That was something you didn't hear about every day. Shepard had finally found some time to investigate with Dr. Bryson about his discovery. Leviathan - a Reaper that he supposed went rogue and killed one of its own.

Unfortunately, Bryson was murdered by his assistant. Not intentionally though. He claimed to be under control. No doubt Leviathan had some involvement. Shepard needed to get to the bottom of this fast.

Whatever Leviathan was, Shepard had to find this thing. If it could kill Reapers, she needed its help. Rogue Reaper or not, Shepard was determined to find it and uncover the secrets it held.


	98. Freezing

**Freezing**

Shepard had been underwater for over an hour now and Cortez still couldn't get a stable signal connection to contact her. Garrus was getting worried. She'd gone down in the Triton mech so she could search for Leviathan. According to the schematics, Leviathan was underwater.

Just when Garrus thought she wouldn't be returning, the Triton burst out of the icy sea. He saw Shepard exit the mech but once her feet hit the deck of the ship, she collapsed and didn't move. Something was wrong. Tali covered him from the Reapers as he hurried over to retrieve her.

On the shuttle, Garrus' scans from his omni-tool indicated Shepard was partly hypothermic. Her skin was pale, her lips partially blue and she was unconscious. Garrus called out to her to wake up. What did Leviathan do to her?

As if on cue, Shepard awoke, coughing and like she had swallowed water. Garrus grabbed her and pulled her close, whispering that she was safe. Shepard calmed and relaxed in his arms.

Garrus continued to hold her until she stopped shivering.


	99. Cost

**Cost**

Shepard was finished – finished with Cerberus. She should've known the Illusive Man would follow her to Thessia. What she didn't expect was that Kai Leng would get to the better of her and steal the data about the Catalyst they so desperately needed. Without it, the Crucible couldn't be finished and the Reapers would win for sure.

And now Thessia had succumbed to the Reaper invasion. Liara completely understood the pain and despair Shepard went through when Earth was hit. Liara took it hard and broke down in tears once they returned from the mission. Shepard held sympathy for her; she just saw her world go up in flames.

Shepard comforted her friend the best she could. She didn't dare utter 'It's going to be okay' because nothing was okay. All Shepard could do was sit next to Liara and rest a hand on her back.

Even through all the sadness and anger, Shepard wasn't about to give up just yet. She swore to herself she'd track Kai Leng down and she'd get that data back in time to save the galaxy.


	100. Sanctuary

**Authour's Note: Woo! Chapter 100! This story has been crazy-fun to write and I appreciate the follows and reviews from you guys :) Still have a few more chapters to go, so hang in there!**

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**Sanctuary**

Horizon. Garrus never thought he'd see this place again. The last time he was here, the planet was under attack by Collectors. Now he was back again, and it wasn't any better than last time.

He was here with Shepard and Tali. They had a lead on Kai Leng that apparently he came by Sanctuary – an Alliance controlled safe haven for war refugees. Only it wasn't. Sanctuary was secretly a Cerberus controlled test facility. They were turning refugees into husks, to see if they could control them.

It was another twisted and disturbing experiment done by Cerberus. Garrus knew this place had to be exposed.

And Miranda became their saving grace. She put a tracer on Kai Leng. He would lead right back to the Illusive Man. With this, maybe Shepard had a chance to get back the data before everything went to hell.


	101. The Lone Wolf

**Authour's Note: Chapter 101 and 102 contain Citadel DLC spoilers just for those who have yet to play the DLC.**

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**The Lone Wolf**

How creepy is it, to find out you have a clone. A clone; everything thing about it is the same. It's looks, it's abilities, it's…voice. Talking to a clone is pretty much like talking to yourself…only at the same time it isn't.

As much as Shepard wanted to know more about this clone, she knew it have to wait. She had to stop…herself? Stop the other _Shepard? _Whatever the clone was, she had to stop her. If she succeeded in stealing the Normandy, the galaxy would be doomed. This clone Shepard was the complete opposite to the original. She'd wreak havoc.

It occurred to Shepard that she'd technically be fighting herself. She could only hope that clone wouldn't be as unstoppable as she was.


	102. Party

**Party**

A party sounded like a good idea to everybody. Shore leave had been cancelled once the whole fiasco with the CAT6 mercenaries and the clone all tried to kill Shepard. Why the hell not? The galaxy could go one day without Shepard. Besides, the crew deserved a break. And it would be a great way to reconnect with old friends and spend just one last day together.

The party was absolutely rowdy. People drank, danced, and laughed. Shepard reminisced with some old friends, all while making new memories in the process. Like Tali for example, who got so drunk, she started having fantasies a threesome with Shepard and Garrus.

Shepard new she'd have a killer hangover once the night ended but it would be damned worth it. She had a damn good ride on that ship with all her friends.

And she wouldn't trade those years for anything.


	103. A Final Moment Together

**A Final Moment Together**

It was almost like the suicide mission all over again, except with no suicide mission. The Normandy was en route to Cerberus Headquarters to retrieve the long-lost data from the Illusive Man. The Crucible was complete. All it needed now was the Catalyst.

Garrus knew this would probably be the last night he could spend with Shepard. Once they had the data, it would be time to hit Earth and that fight could be the last for many. So he came up to her cabin to comfort her, love her, embrace her and to spend just one last night with the woman that mattered the most to him.

No matter what, he'd always be there for her.


	104. Dead at Last

**Dead at Last**

It was a well-known fact that Shepard had killed people, be it mercenaries, Collectors, geth and reapers. Part of her didn't like it, but she had to because they left her no choice. But after the fight with Kai Leng in Cerberus Headquarters, and she stabbed her omni-blade through his chest, she had a sudden feeling that she couldn't quite describe.

It was the first person she had killed that she…enjoyed killing. Hell, who wouldn't. The man had followed her everywhere. He had murdered her friend Thane. The feeling of vengeance surged through her veins like adrenaline. It was exhilarating.

Shepard was glad the bastard was dead and gone. With the truth about the Catalyst, she could finally return to Earth. A battle that would decide the fate of every being.


	105. Earth

**Earth**

Back home at last. The Normandy was en route to the Sol system relay, with the fleets in tow. It all came down to this battle. This battle would decide the fate of everyone. It was now or never.

The crew was anxious, no doubt. After gathering fleets and making truces, the races of the galaxy had finally come together to retake Earth from the Reapers. It was a hard sight for Shepard to look at. Seeing Earth glowing orange with flames. Even if she was born out in the wide expanse of space, Earth was still home.

She was determined to win no matter the cost. If she had to give her life to stop the Reapers, so be it. It was time to end the Reapers destruction.


	106. A Final Goodbye

**A Final Goodbye**

While Anderson prepared the attack plan for crossing 'No Man's Land', Shepard wondered the FOB, saying final goodbyes to her crew and close friends. It was difficult to stay strong in front of them. Breaking down in tears wouldn't exactly help.

The hardest person to say goodbye to though, was Garrus. Her closest friend, lifesaver, boyfriend. He would understand if she broke down into tears in his arms. But again, she didn't. If for some crazy possibility, Shepard lived through this war, she'd cry then.

Before she moved on, Garrus took Shepard into his arms, pulling her close. He firmly told her an order, one that broke her heart.

"_Forgive the insubordination but your boyfriend has an order for you: come back alive, it be an awfully empty galaxy without you"._

She kissed him. A kiss that should have lasted longer but it couldn't. She told him if she didn't make it out alive, she'd always be watching over him. He'd never be alone.

_Never._


	107. Not Giving Up

**Not Giving Up**

Pain was ripping through Shepard. Her body screamed at her with every step she took. Blood drenched her tattered and burned armor. She's amazed that she's still alive. But she was only clinging to her life by a thread.

She'd been hit by Harbinger's beam. Not head on but enough to leave her in a near-death state. She wasn't about to give up though. No, she still had to end this war. She forced herself to walk, limp, and crawl. She had, no _needed_ to reach the beam that would lead her to the Citadel.

If she died here, the galaxy would be doomed.

So despite the agonizing pain covering her body, she pushed on


	108. I'm Proud of You

**I'm Proud of You**

It was over. After all this time, the war was finally over. Soon, the Crucible would activate and the Reapers would be history. It was a glorious feeling.

Shepard crawled her way over to Anderson, who was leaning up against a platform. The lifeless body of the Illusive Man not too far away from him.

"We did it" Shepard said weakly.

"Yes we did" Anderson replied just as weak.

The view from where they were sitting was…perfect. Best seats in the house would be the best way to describe it. Then suddenly, Anderson started to go limp. He hung his head slightly and his eyes fluttered.

"Stay with me. We're almost through this" Shepard said.

"You did good child, you did good. I'm proud of you" Anderson said softly.

"Thank you, Sir. Anderson?" Shepard looked over to him.

No. It couldn't end like this. He couldn't just…_die _now. But it was too late. He had said his last words and had passed on. Shepard bowed her head. The blood from her side wound wasn't stopping. It had pooled all around her.

She didn't have much time either.


	109. The Choice

**The Choice**

Blue, Green and Red. Control, Synthesis and Destroy. Death, Death and more Death. Well, according to that creepy, glowing child who claimed to be the _Catalyst?_ Obviously, Control and Synthesis would kill her. Destroy had the potential as well.

Shepard was ready to die. She had prepared herself since the day she joined the military. Every soldier should. But she'd been given an order, an order from the man she loved. She couldn't disobey an order. She _never _disobeyed orders.

Her one goal since the Reapers arrived was to destroy them. She didn't want to complete what the Illusive Man wanted, by controlling them. Synthesis had its promises, but having the Reapers turn 'friendly' felt…wrong after everything they had caused.

So that left Shepard with one option: Destroy. Destroying all the synthetics – EDI and the geth – was a huge compromise, but in the end, she'd figured they would have understood. A necessary sacrifice to save the galaxy.

"_I'm sorry" _Shepard whispered to herself before firing her pistol at the panel that would trigger 'Destroy'.


	110. The Red Light

**The Red Light**

From a window, Garrus watched the Crucible glow red. A brilliant red light that grew bigger and bigger. He knew Shepard was responsible. Before the Normandy took off into FLT, he prayed, something he didn't do often. He prayed for her survival, for her safety, and the ability to see her again.

The ship jolted sharply for a brief moment. Then the view of the Crucible was no longer in sight. But the red light still was and it was gaining on them. It crept up ever so slowly but it was enough to panic some of the crew. What would happen if that thing touched the ship?

The ship jolted again, suddenly. Systems shut down. EDI collapsed without warning. The Normandy entered a free fall. Garrus closed his eyes and held on.

The last thing he heard was a few screams before the Normandy crashed violently onto solid ground.


	111. Don't Let Go

**Don't Let Go**

Amazing that a week had already passed since the Reapers were defeated. The Normandy's repairs were finally finished and it now time to return to Earth and see what the situation was. But before that, the crew needed to do something.

EDI had gone offline once the Red Light hit them. Nobody had been able to successfully reactivate her. So in memorial, Joker placed her name on the wall. And now it was time to place the name that nobody wanted to ever see on that wall

_Shepard_

Garrus was…given the honor (not that it was) to place her name. He held the nameplate tenderly and approached the wall slowly. Before placing the name, he took one last look at it. He traced a hand over the white letters that spelled out the name of his lover.

But something was off. Shepard was stronger than this. Hell, Garrus didn't know if is she was actually dead. He needed proof before this plate even touched the wall. He turned to Joker and nodded. The slight gesture was enough to understand what he meant.

Garrus wasn't letting go just yet.


	112. Stable

**Stable**

Without the relays, it took the Normandy more time than normal to reach Earth. Garrus turned tense and nervous. What if Shepard had…died in the time it took them to return. No, don't think like that. She would hang on for him.

Hackett greeted the crew once they had landed. Earth was still a wreck, but significant improvements had already been made. When Garrus came face to face with the Admiral, his question was vague but he'd understand.

"Is she alive" Garrus asked forcefully.

Hackett was tired, physically and emotionally. Therefore, it took him a moment to respond.

"We have her held up in a makeshift hospital not far from here. She's badly injured, lost tremendous amounts of blood, unconscious but stable.

"I _need _to see her" Garrus informed.

Hackett nodded "Follow me".


	113. Waking Up

**Waking Up**

Garrus was by her side for days. He did nothing but sit next to her bed and watch her breath slowly. He listened to the sound of the machines around her that kept her alive. Sometimes, he'd take hold of her hand and rub his fingers across it, just to let her know somebody was there.

It was painful to see her in a state like this.

A week passed and Shepard remained in her coma. Garrus wondered what that was like. Trapped in your own mind, struggling to break free. And there was nothing he could do to help her.

For a second, Garrus thought he saw eyes flutter but he waved it off. It was probably a delusion since he hadn't slept for a few days now. But then it happened again and soon he could see her beautiful blue eyes completely. Okay, definitely _not_ a delusion.

"Shepard? Shepard can you hear me?" Garrus whispered.

Her eyes moved, not her head. She stared at him for a moment before she spoke. Her voice sounded hoarse and scratchy, but he still made out her words.

"Told you I never disobey my orders" Shepard spoke.

Garrus couldn't help but laugh a little. That was his girl alright. The unbeatable Commander Shepard.


	114. Rehabilitation

**Rehabilitation**

Six months. Six months of rehabilitation had already passed. Shepard moved into an actually hospital instead of the makeshift one back in London. Here, she started the grueling process of learning to walk pretty much all over again.

She was strong though. Determined too. Garrus was by her side every step of the way. Even the crew, who had stayed on Earth to help rebuild came to see Shepard as well, and their support made all the difference.

Shepard struggled, and fought through her pain every waking day until she was able to stand without the help of someone holding her. She felt accomplished. Life was just about to get better with the Reapers gone – _Shepard's _life was just getting better too.

And she refused to sit around and watch it fly by her.


	115. A New Home

**A New Home**

With her rehabilitation done, Shepard and Garrus fled to the warmer corners of Earth. Shepard was a little guilty, leaving all the rebuilding behind but it was Hackett who had told her to go. She had saved the galaxy_ three_ times over already, she deserved a break.

Garrus surprised with a new home. A gorgeous, spacious home right on their own private beach. No neighbors or noise to be had. Just them and their own expanse of paradise. It was everything Shepard needed to be happy.

"You weren't kidding when you said we'd retired somewhere warm and tropical" Shepard stated.

"Of course I wasn't. This is what we need, no _deserve_ Shepard. After everything we've done for the galaxy. No more fighting Reapers or Geth or Cerberus. From now on, it's just us" Garrus said.

Shepard took hold of his hands and kissed him softly. She sighed and glanced up into his eyes.

"I like the sound of that. Now, why don't you show me our new home" Shepard said.

Without saying a word, Garrus swooped Shepard off her feet gently and carried her inside, with Shepard playing laughing along.


	116. Offspring

**Offspring**

When Garrus told Shepard about finding out what a turian/human baby looked like once the war was over…well he wasn't kidding about that either. They'd done the impossible before so why stop now. Especially when an opportunity came about.

The salarians were the ones that presented said opportunity. In a way, it was their way of saying 'sorry' for not providing 100% of their fleets during the war. They promised to do any kind of favour for Shepard and Garrus. Anything.

So, with incredible thought and discussion Shepard gave in and agreed with Garrus. They'd go to the salarians and begin testing so that their biology would allow a little child they could call their own.

Even with her doubts, Shepard couldn't help but feel just a tad excited.


	117. Creating Wonder

**Super quick authour's note: Turian/human hybrid? Why not :)**

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**Creating Wonder**

It took a lot of time and work to try to conceive. The tests weren't painful, but they sure weren't comfortable either. The salarians were doing everything they could but…it was becoming harder and harder to try to make two different DNA's compatible.

But not all hope would be lost. In fact something finally did happen. On the one year anniversary of the Reapers defeat, Shepard and Garrus received the news they had both been waiting and praying for.

The tests finally came back positive. She was carrying a child that would contain both human and turian DNA. It was incredible. Of course it was possible Shepard could miscarry, but the salarians promised to keep a watchful eye on Shepard to be sure she carried the child to full term.

In nine months, Shepard would be a mother. In nine months, Garrus would be a father. Both of them couldn't be any happier.


	118. Delivery

**Delivery**

The nine months passed faster than when Shepard was in lockup for 6 months. She had monthly visits with the salarians. The baby was healthy and strong. They all had high hopes that the child would be born.

Impossible was always possible when it came to Shepard. She was about to give birth to an entirely new species. How would the galaxy react to that?

The best way for her to have the child was through a C-Section. It was much easier for Shepard and the doctors reduced the pain just a little. The child was born a girl, strong and absolutely adorable.

For the most part, she looked human but there were some obvious turian features to her as well like the hard plates that ran the lengths of her tiny arms and legs. She would be beautiful no matter what.

"That's _our_ little girl" Garrus said, gripping Shepard's shoulders.

Shepard, who was cradling the small infant, turned to her love and said "Yes she is. And she's perfect".


	119. Family Life

**Family Life**

Garrus thought he was prepared for anything, but Family Life turned out to be even more challenging than fighting Reapers. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating that but it was definitely a war zone when it came to raising a child.

Their daughter's name was Ashley, named after Ashley Williams who died on Virmire. It seemed like a good way to honor her memory. That way, in a sense, Ashley would always be with them.

She was only two years old, but she could cause a ruckus around the house. Garrus couldn't believe how she could run, play, run around some more and still be flowing with energy come night. By that time, Shepard and Garrus were both exhausted.

Garrus figured he'd get used to it eventually, but he stressed _'eventually'. _


	120. Soul Mates

**Authour's Note: *Sniff* Well here it is: The final chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story. One last thank you to all those who followed/favourited/reviewed! You're awesome! :D**

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**Soul Mates**

Shepard was outside on her deck, watching the sunset and reminiscing about old memories. Five years had already passed since the Reapers were defeated. Five years of rebuilding. But many more years of peace to follow.

Shepard couldn't have asked for a better life. She was married to love of her life. She had a beautiful daughter. She lived in a magnificent home that some people could only dream to live in. It was everything and more that she could have asked for.

Familiar arms wrapping around her waist interrupted her thoughts. Of course she knew who it was. Her best friend, her life saver, her husband.

_Her Garrus._

"Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you in my life?" Garrus said.

"I don't believe you have" Shepard said.

Garrus turned Shepard around so she was facing him "Well I'm as lucky as any person can ever be. This life we have now is more than I could have ever wanted. I love you Shepard. Forever and always".

Shepard blushed and kissed him passionately.

"I love you too Garrus. You're my everything, forever and always".

From the beginning they were meant to be together. In the end, they were always meant to be _Soul Mates_.

_**Fin**_


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